On Conservation Principles

 

In the past homes were modest, places of work were agricultural and our grandest buildings were temples, cathedrals and palaces. During the industrial age our cathedrals became places of work; great factories and chimneys filled the skyline. Today residential towers exceed in height the tallest spires and chimneys, while in the suburbs two floors are normal. Work is now knowledge based, requiring data centres instead of machine halls and factories, and cathedrals are home to sport.

It follows that, while aesthetic taste changes and is subjective, there is also a class of building that contains in its fabric a record of human activity; our culture and our endeavours. It is self-evident that both types of building should be preserved.

That said, people do not want to live and work in museums and therefore buildings must, as they always have, adapt to change. This requires those of us who work with such buildings to see ourselves as custodians. What we receive from the past we must make fit for the future, so that there remains a living record of that which has passed from memory.

Although we must make every effort to honour evidence of the past and to preserve the character and history of a building, we need not be afraid to repurpose it or to upgrade its fabric and systems.

If we have worked hard to understand what the original designer had in mind, and any subsequent alterations, we will appreciate what is special and individual about a building’s character and personality. What must be preserved and what may be changed. Of course, it is not only important that we preserve the significant parts, how we do it is also important. 

Our starting point should be to do as little ‘as possible, but as much as necessary’. If the structure remains serviceable and observed distress is not progressing ‘do nothing and monitor’ may be the answer.

If intervention is necessary we must remember our role as custodians. Future research may lead to better methods of conservation, therefore what is done today should, where possible, avoid limiting future opportunities. Similarly, some interventions have, by nature, limited life spans, for example, building services. This means that proposed enhancements and repairs ought to be reversible without leaving behind marks.

It is self-evident that materials and methods, which are not compatible with those used originally will be detrimental to a building’s fabric. That said, interventions should have an honesty about their conception. They should be discernible to future engineers and should therefore avoid the temptation to replicate. 

Buildings are not immutable. They were conceived with a purpose, but have been changed by their environment and by their custodians. Conservation means continuing to adapt for the future while sensitively preserving that which is important from the past. This should be done on the tripartite basis of minimal intervention, reversibility and honesty. Projects that follow these principles are normally received favourably by the public and contribute to a better society.